1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective garments and, more particularly, to protective garments that have shock absorbing, puncture resistant, and thermal protection characteristics associated therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As will be described in detail, the present invention will be seen to define a garment or vest for use, such as, by persons occupying the cabin of an airplane. Such a garment, with its objects of providing shock absorption, puncture resistance, and thermal protection for the wearer, has been unavailable heretofore. Though this description will be directed primarily to airplane crash applications, other protective uses of the garment will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
The prior art is virtually devoid of any reference to airplane crash protective equipment. A compact headgear having laminated layers separated by shock protective material like styrofoam or cork as seen in A. J. Krinke, U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,660. Krinke is indicated as being applicable to usage in association with an airplane. Krinke does not protect the torso of the wearer nor does Krinke address problems associated with fire or thermal protection.
The need for a protective garment for use in general aviation aircraft can be understood by a review of the problems associated with a light aircraft crash. The cabin structures of general aviation aircraft are constructed to withstand, intact, impacts associated with accelerations of between ten and forty gravities, or g's. In light aircraft, severe but nonfatal injuries are common when only three to five g's are encountered by the occupants of a cabin. Fatalities and/or very severe injuries are a result of any crash decelerations of between six and ten g's. The foregoing statistics are in light of the fact that almost all the occupants of the aircraft wore seatbelts.
Analysis of the type of injury indicates two main areas of the human body, the head and the chest, are particularly susceptible to aircraft induced injuries. Approximately forty percent aircraft induced injuries are cranial-facial, while between fourteen and twenty percent of all fatalities are directly due to head injuries. An even larger percentage, seventy percent, of general aviation accidents involving fatality are a result of skull fractures, often in conjunction with other injuries. Crushing of the chest cavity is also a common injury.
Skull fractures do not typically occur until a peak acceleration of five hundred g's is reached. The brain can avoid damage by way of a concussion as long as impacts are limited to less then fifty g's. It is apparent that the risk of severe injury can be lessened by lowering the g forces associated with impact.
Besides impact related injuries, one of every three otherwise survivable aircraft accidents ends in a fatality because of fire and flash or toxic fumes. Exposure of fifty percent of the skin area of a human being to a surface temperature of a 180.degree. F. or above results in fatalities fifty percent of the time. Protection against this temperature can substantially increase the chance of survival.
Parachutes are not standard in general aviation. Though their place in sport activities and military applications is undoubtedly secure, parachutes have played an insignificant role in protecting persons in light general aviation aircraft from the possibility of crash landing. This is due in large part because general aviation aircraft can, in the case of an engine failure and many other mechanical failures, glide for some distance to a crash landing. In commercial jet applications, the speed, altitude and number of people involved are simply too complex a problem to consider an ejection or parachute type system.
In relation to nonaircraft applications, very little in the way of protective garments are available. L. L. Irvin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,375,655 shows survival type clothing adapted for use after a forced landing has occurred in hostile conditions. The clothing or garment is compact and is adapted to be embodied in a parachute pack.
Shock resistant sport clothing is seen in P. Rolando U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,362 which primarily relates to activities such as skiing. The body and sleeve of the garment in Rolando are of layered construction including an outer windproof layer of filled nylon or cotton, an intermediate layer of highly insulated foam material such as polyurethane and an inner layer of elastic nylon fabric. No hood or other protection is provided for the head.
The patents to L. E. Burgess, U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,281, and W. J. Collins, U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,384 both show layered material for use as a protective armor. Neither Burgess nor Collins show any protection for the head. Burgess shows plural layers of rigid platelets separated by a compressible foam layer, preferably high density polyurethane. Collins glues layers of material together in such a manner to form pockets, the outer layers of such pockets carrying rigid platelets.
Fire resistant or thermal protective clothing or garments are seen in the patents to R. E. Sullivan, U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,876, and R. Coolbaugh, U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,759. Sullivan discloses and shows a blanket formed of flameproof material. A hood or head portion formed of two laminated panels protects the head. The hood can be pulled down to mitigate fumes and provide some filtration of fouled air, as well as protect the head and face from heat and flame. Coolbaugh is used for caring for injured persons. It includes the material "Kay-cel" which is fire resistant.
Multiple layered clothing including a protective hood is seen in the patents to M. Bell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,686, and A. Grenier, U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,102. Both Bell and Grenier are directed toward ventilated and insulated garments and utilize multiple layered constructions to achieve that result. In a similar vein is the patent to J. Datlof, U.S. Pat. No. 2,831,198.
Of general interest as they relate to multilayered garments are the welder's jacket of D. La Marre, U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,564 and A. and M. Vagas, U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,177 for a storm coat. Vagas does include protective headgear. Vagas is concerned with protecting the user from severe weather, rather than impact, puncture, shock, fire or heat.